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Getting Hired at IBMMy experience in getting hired at IBM was something of a fluke. Actually I believe it was arranged by God - you are welcome to believe what you like.When I was a senior at Ohio State, I had registered in the placement office of the Engineering Department, and one day in the winter, I was sitting in my office when the phone rang. It was a guy from IBM asking if I wanted to come for an interview. I said, I had seen that they would be there, but that they were looking for Winter graduates and I wouldn't be graduating until Spring. He said that was no problem, he had some extra time, could I come and interview. I said that I didn't have my suit on and that I didn't have my portfolio with me. (I guess I was just stupid giving him reasons why I couldn't be there). He said, can you get them and come for an interview? So finally I said, ok. I remember showing him drawings I had made at Worthington Steel of a machine I had designed, and he said, "You did this?" I thought that was a strange question. Why the heck would I be showing him drawings someone else did? I took it that he was impressed with what I had done, and assured him, yes I had designed the machine. I soon had an offer to go down to the Lexington, Kentucky plant and interview there. I could remember going through the Blue Grass region of Kentucky when I was a kid on vacation and thinking, "I wouldn't mind living here. This is a really neat area." So off we went for the interview. I was interested in working as a plant engineer. I had that all over my resume and on the listing I had in the placement office. IBM was looking for a product engineer. Tom Slaughter was the guy who interviewed me on campus and he wanted me working in his area I believe (that's where I eventually wound up). I don't really remember any of the interviews I had there. I know they were in different buildings all over the plant. What we do remember is the guy who hosted Connie and I - Virgil Bowler. He was a very personable fellow. He met us for breakfast, took me all around to the interviews and then drove us around and showed us a bit of the town afterward. Then he took us to dinner at Columbia Steak House. When he sat down in the restaurant, the chair collapsed under him. He jumped up and we all laughed about it. The food at Columbia's was excellent and we enjoyed talking with Virgil. I interviewed with twelve different companies and had offers from five others. Connie wanted me to take the offer at IBM. I wasn't sure that's what I wanted to do - it wasn't plant engineering, but Connie really liked IBM (all she really knew about it was Lexington, Kentucky and Virgil Bowler for gosh sakes). In a class I was taking, one of the guys was hoping to get an interview with IBM, but he had been turned down. He said that was where he really wanted to go to work. Until they had called me that day, I had never even considered IBM. Based on what that guy said and Connie wanting me to take the job, I decided I would. I figured if they were crazy enough to hire me as a product engineer, I was crazy enough to take the job. What a stupid way to make a decision! I called IBM and told them I thought I'd take the job, but was wondering what exactly I'd be doing, what exact department I'd be working in. Well, the HR guy said, they hadn't determined that yet. He said he could let me know when they did. I said great. I waited a couple of weeks and not hearing from them, called him again. They still hadn't decided, but he'd call me when they did. More weeks went by, and I called again. No, they still hadn't decided. At that point, it was almost June, I was getting worried that they might change their mind if I didn't take the job. So I called them and told them I'd take the job, whatever it was. He said ok, he'd let me know what day to start. We did finally get a start date (June 20, 1977) but I didn't know what department I'd be in or exactly what I'd be doing until the day I started. Next, Working At The Plant |
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